College hosts sales workshop

Many small farms and businesses lack sales and marketing experience, and implementing these skills can seem overwhelming.

Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute will offer the Farm Direct Marketing Sales, Service & Signs Workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 4 at the WNC Carson City Campus, 2201 W. College Parkway. Cost is $15 if registered by Friday and $20 after. Additional staff members can register for $10 per person. Online registration is available at http://www.wnc.edu/specialty-crop-institute.

In this interactive workshop, attendees will learn simple, effective and inexpensive ways to increase sales and build customer bases. They will learn to identify core customers and their needs and wants; effective booth designs and product displays; tips to create effective signs and banners; customer service imperatives; andhands-on customer service training.

Featured speakers are Colleen Donovan, who has spent the past seven years coordinating farmers market research and educational projects for Washington State University, and Jeffrey Benjamin, who founded Breakthrough Training in Reno and authored "Real Life Habits for Success."

The WNC Specialty Crop Institute is an innovative program that provides training for alternative farming methods and crops for high desert agriculture. Its goals include expanding and diversifying Nevada agriculture. Funding is provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

For more Information and to register, contact Ann Louhela at 423-7565, ext. 2228 or ann.louhela@wnc.edu.